Opinion

On April 9, 2025, the President of the High Court in Ireland, Mr Justice David Barniville, introduced two new Practice Directions for Clinical Negligence cases, designed to promote structured case management and encourage a timely resolution of claims, write Kevin Hegarty and Lucy McLernon. Effectiv

McCann FitzGerald partners Alan Heuston and James Quirke urge lawyers to be pro-active in response to Donald Trump's sweeping new tariffs. The Trump administration’s latest announcement of the imposition of US tariffs on all EU imports is one of the most serious issues faced by the Irish econo

Lewis Silkin NI partner Rory Campbell considers the latest situation around AI regulation in Northern Ireland. Last week the European Commission proposed that Northern Ireland should have to comply with EU laws regulating AI systems.

Barry Crushell reviews cases testing the relatively new right to request remote working arrangements. The Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provision Act 2023 came into effect on 4 April 2024 and originally aimed to increase the participation of women in the labour market and the shared take-up of

Clarifications from recent helpful guidance by the Central Bank of Ireland are extremely welcome, and signal a relaxation of the restriction on guarantees applicable to Irish AIFs provided certain conditions are satisfied, write Anthony O'Hanlon and Conor Lynch. The Central Bank has also clarified t

The introduction of the Procurement Act 2023 marks a significant shift in the public procurement landscape across the UK, writes William Curry. Having come into force on 24 February 2025, the Act heralds a comprehensive overhaul of procurement legislation, fundamentally reshaping how public contract

Ian Cooper proposes a novel alternative to Canada joining the United States. The Liberal Party of Canada's new leader Mark Carney replaced Justin Trudeau as prime minister last week. As a former central bank governor in Canada and the UK, Carney was chosen as the candidate with the skill and experie

William Fry lawyers Adele Hall, Paul Convery and Niamh McCabe look at the recent High Court decision in Casey v McMenamin, in which significant damages, including aggravated damages, were awarded for defamation arising from a Facebook post. Momentum towards the proposed reform of defamation laws was

Alison Kelleher, member of the Law Society of Ireland's ADR committee and partner at Comyn Kelleher Tobin, welcomes judicial plans for the introduction of a new practice direction on the use of mediation in medical negligence claims. Speaking at a conference hosted by the Law Society of Ireland&rsqu

Solicitor Patrick Horan welcomes a Circuit Court ruling which held that defendants in drink driving cases have a right to inspect Garda breathalysers. In a groundbreaking decision with far-reaching implications for drink driving cases across Ireland, a ruling at Clonmel Circuit Court has determined

Dr Pearce Clancy ponders whether victims of Storm Éowyn could successfully bring climate litigation to the European courts. Storm Éowyn was one of the most destructive storms Ireland has ever seen, with winds of 183 km/h recorded by the Mace Head weather station in Connemara. The devas

In recent weeks, the European Court of Justice ruled against the Irish Data Protection Commission in a significant case involving Meta’s processing of sensitive user data. Grace G Tierney BL analyses the outcome of the judgement. On 29 January 2025, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) found ag

Barry Crushell highlights a recent employment dispute where CCTV footage played a central role. The case of Nkemka Patrick Okachi v Sodexo Ireland Limited ADJ-00045306 examines the circumstances under which an employer will be compelled to utilise CCTV footage as part of an investigation and discipl

Matheson partner Davinia Brennan considers a recent decision clarifying the definition of "personal data breach". The Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) recently imposed a €91 million fine on Meta Platforms Ireland Limited (MPIL), having found that it violated a number of provisions of the

Solicitor Patrick Horan explores the science of sentencing. Imagine facing a judge for the same crime in two different courtrooms. In one, you get one year in prison. In the other? Ten years.